


The Half of It - Part II

by SweetStugLife



Series: A Cord of Three Strands [16]
Category: Black Panther (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men Evolution
Genre: Anti-Mutant Sentiments (Marvel), Bedtime Stories, Black Panther rewrite, F/F, F/M, Family, Found Family, Gen, Gender Nonconforming Bucky Barnes, Infinity Stones, Jewish Steve Rogers, Jewish Tony Stark, Jewish Wanda Maximoff, M/M, Multi, Nonbinary Bucky Barnes, Politics, Racism, Romani Wanda Maximoff, Wakanda
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 15:59:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18742327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetStugLife/pseuds/SweetStugLife
Summary: In the wake of the Transigen mission, Laura Howlett and the Gems of Cyttorak remain captives of the enigmatic KM.As Wakanda transitions between spiritual and political leaders, Thor returns from Asgard with urgent news, testing the nation’s place in the world and T’Challa’s increasingly tenuous grip on the throne.Steve, Peggy, and Bucky are almost ready to have a family, but time has never been on their side, and an old, tragic reckoning must be faced before they can bring their daughters home.





	1. Prologue: I Had a Starring Role

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I would finish writing the story before posting this time, but apparently that’s just not how I roll babes B] 
> 
> (T-T)

**_1992; Oakland, CA_ **

“Baba?”

“Yes, unyana?”

“Will you tell me a story?”

“Of course. Do you want to hear the Story of Home? I know it’s your favorite.”

“Mmm...tell me _your_ favorite this time.”

“ _Mine_? Hm. I don’t know that I have a _favorite_...”

“ _Ba~ba~_ ”

“All right, all right. I’ll tell you the story...the story I am most proud of.”

“Oooh...”

_Not so long ago, there was a fortress in the woods. Inside the fortress were many special people who all had special talents. One could survive falls from impossible heights, one had claws like a beast of the savanna, one could hypnotize others with just her eyes. And there were many others. But these people were trapped; kept inside the fortress by evil men who hurt and terrorized them. They wanted to use the people’s talents to make war, and so they used machines to control the people’s minds and bodies. The people inside could see no way out._

_One day, a warrior was sent to work in the fortress by the lords of those evil men. The lords did not know that the warrior was from a foreign land, and that he had no loyalty to them. And when the warrior saw how the people inside were treated, he was filled with sorrow and anger. It would take many weeks, even months, but he came up with a plan, and when all was ready, he managed to destroy the machines that kept the people ensnared, and he put very powerful weapons into their hands. Then there was a great battle, and even though not all of the captives survived, by the end of it the evil men were all slain and the fortress was destroyed. Then the warrior and the people he freed scattered to the winds, to hide from the lords and live their lives in peace._

_But the warrior, though he traveled far and wide, found no peace for himself. He married a Dark Queen, and together they had a little prince, but still the warrior found no peace. Because there were many evil lords in the world, who run all kinds of fortresses, and the innocent people of the world didn’t have enough good weapons to protect themselves._

_One day, some of the evil lords took the Dark Queen away and locked her in another fortress. They had convinced her kingdom that the color of her skin meant she was dangerous, and that she had committed many heinous crimes. And the warrior was filled with rage and sorrow again, but now like never before. This time, he knew he needed more fighters and better weapons. And this time he could not attack only one fortress. Every last fortress, every last evil lord and every last one of their men, had to be destroyed._

“Did he do it? Baba? Did he save the Dark Queen?”

“You’ll find out tomorrow night, unyana. I promise you that.”


	2. Be Careful Where You Aim...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Elders didn’t have names, so I looked up some Xhosa names. The heads of the River, Mining, and Merchant Tribes are Uuka, Nomlanga, and Cebisa (the C is a click sound, made by clicking the tongue against the back of the teeth), respectively. Shuri sits on the council because it behooves the heir presumptive to keep abreast of current affairs.

**_June 4th, 2017; Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, Bayville, New York_ **

"Hey, 'Kia."

"Hello, 'Washe," Storm says, smiling into the image of her sister's face projecting out of the supposed dayplanner Evan keeps on his desk, but the worried expression given in return wipes it away. "What's wrong?"

Mafungwashe purses her lips, and exhales from the corner of her mouth. "I, um, I just heard from Nerombo."

"Yes?" 

"Well, he's been assigned to serve the new priests while they're in Thwasa."

"Oh, good for him." Nerombo was that type; graced with admiration for the priesthood more than a desire to join them himself.

"Good for _us_ , in a...in a way." Storm tilts her head, and Mafungwashe sighs again. "He told me that Hungan has been selected as the new First Servant."

Storm stares at her sister's image for a moment, and then blinks, and blinks again; she takes a breath, and sighs it out. "Well. Well I guess it's a good thing we get to stay here, then."

"I just wanted to let you know, because I'm sure T'Challa is going to invite you back for Challenge Day, and I...wasn't sure he'd have the heart to tell you himself. He's going to really want you there."

Storm manages a smile. "Thank you for the heads up."

"I hope I didn't interrupt something important?"

"No, I was just...Team America came to visit their children. The JEMs.”

“Aww, good. Good for them, I’m happy they decided to go through with the adoption, or...claiming, or whatever it is, exactly.”

Storm nods. “So they’ve got their girls, Agent Lopez has her sons...Jonah’s father is coming tomorrow, and if everything goes smoothly with that, then Laura is the only Transigen child we have to worry about.”

“We’re keeping our eyes and ears open for your friend. I don’t know how much we’ll be able to help at all, of course, but...”

“I know. Thank you, 'Washe.”

“Of course.”

They exchange good-byes quietly, which makes Evan’s stentorian "So who's this Hungan guy to you, anyway?" rather jarring when it blasts at her from behind.

Storm heaves a rather large sigh as she turns around in Evan’s swivel chair. “A very pushy, very _unwanted_ former suitor.”

“Ew, yikes.”

“Yes, it’s always _ew, yikes_ when a stalker is involved.” Storm rises to her feet. 

“So I guess you’re not going back for Challenge Day, huh?”

“Well.” In the end, Hungan is nothing she can’t handle, even if some small part of joining the War Dogs had been to get out of Batontu and away from him. “We’ll see.”

Evan sees the grin she’s barely supressing, and doesn’t hold back his own. 

“Oo~h, Auntie’s got a cru~sh...”

He flees before he can be struck by a miniature bolt of lightning, but she’ll get him back with a sudden shower at some point.

*

**_June 4th, 2017; Birnin Zana, Wakanda_ **

T’Challa is thrown from his meager attempt at meditation not by the alarms, but by the gigantic column of solid rainbow barrelling into the earth just outside city limits that triggers them. 

He’s on his feet immediately, touching the string of vibranium claws he keeps draped around his neck at all times now. His armor has spread out all over his body by the time he makes it to his window. 

“Hold your attack!” T’Challa commands Okoye through the built-in comm, already seeing the last stragglers of the Dora Milaje joining the rest on the ground beneath his window. “I know who that is.”

“We will remain at the ready, Sikhulu,” Okoye replies. 

“As will I,” he mutters somewhat crisply, crawling out of his window and hooking his claws into the side of the building, to help control his descent. He leaps off the building several feet above the ground, into the Dora’s midst, and steps in front of the group just as a streak of blurry colors barrels through the air towards them. 

The Dora swarm T’Challa on either side, spears coming down to puncture the flying object should it get too close, but before Thor can be impaled he twists his body so that his heels touch the ground first, and he skids to a stop several feet in front of the group. 

“T’Challa.” Thor glances left and right at the contingent of women pinning him with their eyes, if not with their weapons. “Dora Milaje.” He bobs his head, quick but sufficiently deep, before locking eyes with T’Challa again. “I apologize for my abrupt appearance, but this is urgent.”

T’Challa hears Okoye hissing an order to stand down. None of the other Dora have so much as fluttered an eyelid; she must be talking to W’Kabi and the other Border Tribe commanders. 

“Have you discovered the location of Omega Red?”

“I haven’t, and that’s why my news is urgent.” He glances at the Dora again, frowning slightly. “We may wish to speak privately.”

“The Dora Milaje are my arms and legs,” T’Challa replies immediately. “The Council is my heart. We cannot act as a body unless they are in communication with the head.”

Thor hesitates again. He’s seen worlds where this arrangement has played out beautifully, and others where it ended in treason, regicide, and civil war. But in only rare situations did any amount of reasoning change the monarch’s mind, and those instances often turned out the worst, so he nods. 

“Inside, at least?”

“Of course.”

Thor gently tosses Mjolnir an inch up off his palm, and the entire group in front of him startles forward as one, spears pointed, claws raised. 

“Drop your weapon,” Okoye commands. 

Thor blinks, and lowers his right hand. He gently lets Mjolnir slide down his palm, so that it won’t shake the earth too badly when it lands; as it is, the topsoil vibrates, almost rattling the Dora’s collective composure. 

“Step back,” Okoye continues, only slightly less harsh. 

“Have I given you reason to distrust me?” Thor asks, even as he does as bade. 

“You mean aside from breaking into our country unannounced?” T’Challa asks, raising an eyebrow, as Okoye steps forward, flanked by Sim’Thandile and Thembeka. 

Thor has the grace to look slightly sheepish. “I had thought, with our last conversation...” He frowns. “Did you not also break into our island unannounced? With hostile intent?”

Now it’s T’Challa turn to look slightly sheepish, even as he feels how hot the glares of his kingsguard are when they glance off his neck. 

“Be that as it may. We are in Wakanda now, and as king I do not allow foreign weapons to enter the palace.”

Thor pauses, and then shrugs. “Fair enough. Wise enough too, I suppose.”

“Your weapon will be safe until you return to retrieve it.”

“I’m sure of that.”

T’Challa isn’t sure how to read his wry smile, nor his tone, until Okoye nods for Sim’Thandile to take Mjolnir by the handle and try to lift her. 

No dice.

“Mjolnir won’t move unless—”

“We are aware,” Okoye snaps. She glances at her assembled warriors, a certain flick of her eyes informing some of them that they are to stay with Mjolnir, and the group slices itself in half. 

“Thor,” T’Challa says, drawing Thor’s eyes back to him. “The Elders will have been alerted to your presence by now. We will conference with them remotely.”

Thor nods. He sends one glance back at Mjolnir, out of affection rather than anything else. After all, if any of the Dora Milaje could lift her, he would still have nothing to fear.

*

“He is dead or imprisoned, I presume.”

“He is outside the door, acquainting himself with the Queen Mother and the princess.”

T’Challa had braced himself enough to at least look calm against the swell of disapproval that comes crashing over him, even if internally he feels somewhat tremulous. 

“The man rides a cyclone into our country and he is not at leasted _locked up?_ ” W’Kabi demands. 

“I stated to him several days ago that we would appreciate if he were to bring us news relating to Omega Red.”

“In this manner?” Nomlanga throws at him.

“As far as I am aware there is no more direct way to reach us than that.”

“So it’s fine for anyone to drop into Wakanda from the sky so long as they claim to be an ally bringing news?” W’Kabi snaps.

“ _Not_ after today,” T’Challa says, face setting into a frown.

"T'Challa," Cebisa says, drawing his attention to her. "You do not want the reputation of being soft on border enforcement. Here _or_ abroad. Your father was merely _considering_ loosening the restrictions, and we have several assassinations to show for it."

"I understand your concerns,” T’Challa says, slow, controlled. “ _All_ ," he glances at W'Kabi, "your concerns. But what I _also_ do not want is to antagonize Asgard. And so I am willing to chalk this up to a cultural misunderstanding. One that, of course, _will not_ be repeated.” He glances around, drawing the other tribe leaders into his words. “And now I move for us to hear the news that’s causing all this fuss. We may be losing time to act on whatever it is while we stew.”

Quadruplet dour expressions greet his announcement, and T’Challa does his best to set them aside as he strides towards the door. The scene on the other side is much more jovial, even with Shuri and Ramonda clad in their red and black mourning; his sister is laughing, and his stepmother is actually smiling as Thor chatters at her from where they sit several feet away.

“Umama,” T’Challa calls; bringing their attention to him. “Shuri. Thor. I have cleared the way for you.”

“Thank you.” Thor rises a beat before Ramonda does, and she glances down when, in the course of offering his arm to her, he accidentally elbows her side. The quirk of her eyebrow is amused; on the other side of Thor, Shuri giggles, and both women link their arms with either of Thor’s. 

T’Challa moves to advise them differently, before catching himself. Cebisa and Nomlanga might be charmed by that; Uuka would probably appreciate the gesture. It’s only W’Kabi who might object. 

The suspicion is confirmed when W’Kabi’s is the only expression that doesn’t marginally lighten once Thor sees Ramonda to her seat. 

“Elders,” Thor addresses them, as Shuri waves herself off to her own seat. “I apologize for my abrupt appearance.”

“ _Abrupt_ is too mild a term for me to use,” Cebisa mutters. 

“But this cannot wait any longer.” Once Heimdall finally, after a day of Thor manuevering to have time alone with him, confirmed that he could not find what Thor was searching for, Thor had attempted entering the Waters of Sight once again. But the Norns had been even _less_ welcoming this time, and Thor had awoken to find himself having been unconscious for almost a week, no closer to locating Transigen nor their plunder. “What does this Council know about the Infinity Stones?”

More than they want to let on, lest they reveal even more about their informants and their methods. “What about them is relevent?” T’Challa asks.

“You have most likely been in possession of one of them.”

“Explain yourself,” Cebisa immediately snaps, as a murmur ripples through her fellow Elders.

“There is very little in existence that Heimdall cannot see,” Thor says. “The Infinity Stones are among them. And apparently so is your missing gem, because Heimdall cannot see it, nor the people who took it from you."

“And what do these Infinity Stones do?” Uuka asks, leaning forward in his chair.

“It would depend upon the particular Stone,” Thor says. “The Infinity Stones represent five aspects of life: Time, Space, Power, Mind, and Soul. Three of the Stones have been accounted for in the past several years, according to Earth reckoning. This one could either be that of Time or Soul, but based on what you described on the island, T’Challa, I would lay odds that it is the Soul Stone.”

“And what does it mean, if our enemy has control of the...of the Soul Stone?” Ramonda asks. 

“Each Infinity Stone contains enormous amounts of energy that _can_ be weaponized, if harnessed correctly.”

“ _Bast_ ,” Nomlanga murmurs. 

“As for the Soul Stone in particular...each Stone has dominion over that for which it is named. Obviously it allows for communion between souls, living or dead, as you have found. But the correct handler—or, rather, the _wrong_ handler—could also use the Stone to alter the soul of the person it is used upon.”

“Alter?” Uuka asks. 

“Change it, manipulate it...most likely even steal it away entirely.”

“Or return it?” T’Challa posits. 

“I would imagine so.”

T'Challa raises his chin. No one speaks for a moment, allowing him to inhale audibly, and right his glance once more.

"Is this all the news you have to bring us?"

"That is all I could uncover," Thor says. "And I ought to report to my own team, as well."

T'Challa nods. "Shuri." The heir presumptive glances up, the pinky nail she's been chewing on still caught in her mouth. "Take Thor to where he can contact Avengers Compound."

"One videocall, coming right up," Shuri says, hopping up to her feet. Part of the deal cut between Wakanda and SHIELD had been a direct line of communication set up between their two headquarters; both ends placed in otherwise nondescript rooms. "This way, your Very-Up-Highness."

Despite everything, Thor lets out a hearty guffaw and holds his arm out for Shuri to take. Ramonda manages a smile at their retreating forms, but it quickly slides off as soon as they shut the doors behind them.

“Did we know?” Cebisa asks. “Were our priests aware of what this, this _Soul Stone_ can do?”

“It has never been brought to my attention,” T’Challa says. 

“Your father said nothing to me, if he knew anything,” Ramonda says.

“It would have been recorded, if we did. We will consult the archives, and the priests themselves.”

“The new priests are currently in the last phase of Thwasa," W'Kabi says.

"Then we will start with the archives."

"Do you mean to interrupt Nikela if the archives prove useless?"

T’Challa’s breath catches. To interrupt Thwasa at any point, but especially during Nikela, is to risk mortally offending the ancestors, making the priests more vulnerable to witches and less accurate in their divination. From the corner of his eyes T’Challa can see every Elder staring him down. 

"We will start with the archives," T'Challa repeats, slower. "But if there is nothing there, we will _have_ to interrupt Thwasa. It is a matter of national security. _Global_ security, potentially."

“You were not so concerned about security when you told the Avengers all about the gem that was stolen from us.”

“That was necessary,” T’Challa retorts, slow, almost a hiss.

"T’Challa, our security has already been compromised if a foreign agent can look into our country at will," Uuka cuts in. "And I know you are going to say that they have not interfered in our affairs so far." T'Challa tries not to look too affronted at having been read so easily. "But what will stop them in the future?"

"That might be all the more reason to cultivate friendly relations with Asgard," Ramonda muses, just loud enough to draw attention to herself. "While we find a way to protect ourselves from prying eyes, of course."

"If the other gem is also an Infinity Stone, perhaps we can utilize it to cover ourselves," T'Challa says. "Hopefully information on how to do so could also be gleaned from the archives. And if not..."

He takes in a breath, drawing himself upright in the process, and returns the stare one Elder at a time. 

“We will do what we have to.”

*

**_June 4th, 2017; Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, Bayville, New York_ **

Bucky and Peggy tiptoe back into the room, the former pushing the door to behind him, and settle down around Steve as quietly as possible, kissing him on either cheek as they do. Peggy sets a hand on Jamaica's back, rubbing it in small back-and-forth strokes; Bucky rests his flesh hand gently on Erica's feet.

"How ya doin'?"

"Good," Steve says, through a sudden lump in his throat. "We've, uh...we've all decided on what they're gonna call us, it looks like."

"Sorry if I stole _Daddy_ out from under you," Bucky says. "'Specially 'cause I'm gonna be _sorta-Mommy_ some of the time. You can have it if you want it..."

"No, no. I'm...happy with how this panned out." Mira's head tilts, and her face nuzzles into Steve's chest. “I mean, obviously _Tati_ suits me.”

“Would you mind if I was _Bibi_ to them?” Wanda asks quietly, and Team America looks up to see her, and Vision, in the entryway, from behind the half-closed door. Peggy waves the pair of them in, and they slip inside the room, Wanda using her powers to close the door both fully and soundlessly. 

“Depends on what that means, I guess.”

“It’s _aunt_ in Romany,” Wanda says, kneeling in front of the group on the floor; after a beat, Vision follows her. “I know that I’m _really_ their...what did you say I was, Viz?”

"If we count Steve's arrangement as a common-law marriage, then _you_ could be considered the girls' third cousin once removed.”

"Cousin Wanda isn't a bad, uh, epithet," Peggy says. "I had an aunt who referred to me as _Cousin Peggy_ when she talked about me to her own children."

“Right, right. But...” Wanda's lips twist sadly as she looks at Steve. “I know that I'm not your _sister_ , but...I don't have the chance to _be_ a proper auntie anymore, and I always liked the sound of _Bibi_ , I thought it was sweet, so..."

"So _Bibi_ it is," Steve says. "Absolutely."

Wanda ducks her head, smiling wetly at the floor; Steve doesn’t want to disturb Mira in order to tussle Wanda’s hair, so Bucky reaches over and does it for him. 

“So what would _uncle_ in Romany be, Vision?” Peggy asks, raising an eyebrow. 

“The word is _K_ -” Vision starts, before realizing that he’s being made fun of. Wanda glances up just to stick her tongue out at Peggy.

The watch on Vision's wrist beeps—a new innovation from Tony, whipped up after seeing the Wakandan communication devices, though instead of a holographic projection the face merely changes into a video screen (the holograms are coming soon; Tony assures them). Their creator sits on the other side of the feed, with Pepper sitting next to him, Sofia in her lap.

"Hi there!" Pepper calls softly, lifting Sofia's hand and waving it. 

"First: we wanted to check on how it's going with Glaceon and the Leafeons," Tony chimes in, as everyone except Steve and the babies waves back.

"It's going well," Peggy says, knowing better than to inquire after Tony's pop culture references by now. "They liked the toys you picked out for them."

"Oh good!" Pepper beams, as Sofia tries her hardest to get out of her mother's lap. “Can we see them? Neither of us have gotten the chance to yet.”

“Yeah, quit hogging the kids,” Tony adds. “Greedy. Greed _ies_.”

“Yeah, of course,” Bucky laughs. Vision shifts on his knees so he can angle his wrist this way and that, awkwardly offering a shot of each sleeping baby to the Potts-Starks. They can’t see them, but they can hear Pepper cooing how precious they all are, and Tony instructing Sofia to “look at your sorta-kinda-it’s weird-cousins, Sofes. No, don’t _hit_ the screen, _look_ at it.”

“I was thinking,” Pepper says, once Vision straightens himself out, “we have a few toys and clothes and things that this one," she raises Sofia up in the air, "has outgrown, and we just haven't gotten around to unloading them anywhere. But Mira might find them useful, so I can set them aside for you if you want."

"Oh that'd be lovely, Pepper,” Peggy says. “Thank you."

"Great! You can look through them, see what you'd want to keep when you get back home. It’ll be like a little baby shower, kind of. For Mira at least. We’ll have to plan another one for the twins.”

"If you’re...you know, _doing_ the whole baby shower thing,” Tony says. 

"Why wouldn’t they?” Pepper asks, tilting her head.

"It’s, it’s a Jewish thing," Steve says, after Tony flounders. "You don’t...you’re not supposed to celebrate too early, when you're expecting a kid. In case something goes wrong.”

“[You risk getting the evil eye](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ask-the-expert-baby-showers/amp/)," Wanda chimes in. “If there’s someone who’s, um... _covetous_ of what you have.” 

"You didn't tell me that," Pepper flings at Tony with a glare, her grip on Sofia unconsciously tightening.

"I didn’t say I believed in all that!" Tony says, spreading his hands. "I just wondered if _Cap_ might."

"Steve?" Peggy and Bucky aim at their husband, at almost the exact same time.

Steve splutters a few syllables, "I don't know" interspersed between them. "I mean, the girls are already _born_ , so I..." can vaguely remember Bobeh looking over his shoulder at one of the concept drawings he had done of his parents with Ella, sighing and shaking her head and muttering that maybe they ought to move; they needed better neighbors. "Well..."

"Oh, Lord,” Peggy murmurs.

"It's just..." Steve grimaces, and shifts on his hips, adjusting his hold on Mira. "It's not like...getting our hopes up has worked out for us a lot, in the past."

"Don't do this to me, Steve," Bucky mutters, his hand closing around one of Erica’s feet.

“Now look what you did,” Pepper hisses at Tony. 

“I’m sorry! I was _trying_ to be considerate!”

"Put it from your minds," Pepper directs at Steve, Bucky, and Peggy, picking Sofia up by the armpits and balancing her so she stands on Pepper's thigh. "Don't even... _entertain_ the notion. You're gonna get through what you have to get through with all the legal stuff, and then you're going to bring the girls home and everything will be just fine. Okay?"

There are weak murmurs to the affirmative. Jamaica sighs in her sleep, and Peggy bunches up the back of her shirt in her hand.

“What was the second thing?” Vision asks, after a whole note. “You said that the checking-up was first...”

“Oh, yeah,” Tony says, suitably grim-toned. “Uh...Thor touched down in Wakanda a little while ago. He says we’ve got Infinity Stones.”

“As...as in he brought them to us, or...?” Peggy asks. 

“As in Transigen took one of them from the Wakandans when Red went on his murder spree.”

“God,” Bucky mutters, using his free hand to rub his temples. 

“We’re sending people out to some places of interest, see if they can find either the Stone, or something that’ll point us _to_ it. You three are all on family leave, so you don’t have to worry about being called in just yet, but I figured we should give you a heads-up, in case things go south enough that we gotta.”

“Thanks,” Steve says. 

“Are you staying there tonight?” Pepper asks. 

“I feel as though we ought to,” Peggy says. Mira being the only child Bucky currently has a legal claim to, the idea had been to either take her back to the Tower alone, or let her stay at the Institute with her sisters should the separation prove to be too much for any of them. Now, though...

“We’re gonna have to make a habit of spending every moment we can with them,” Steve says. “Should probably start now.”

“I know dat feel, bro,” Tony says, glancing sidelong at Sofia. “If Xavier lets you stay, we’ll drone a change of clothes over to you.”

“Appreciate that.”

“Wanda and I’ll still be heading back to the Tower tonight,” Vision says, glancing at Wanda to allow for any dissent; she offers none. “Especially if we’re sending people off to investigate, we ought to be available.”

“Sounds like a plan, my man,” Tony says, with a nod and a thumbs-up. “Just keep your eyes on the road and off each other, yeah?”

Wanda flushes, and Vision, if possible, seems to as well. 

“Leave them alone, Tony,” Pepper chides, and Sofia slaps the air like banging a gavel. “I’ll set aside those things for Mira,” Pepper directs at Team America. “You can look at them when, whenever you’re ready.”

“Thanks,” goes the collective mumble. 

“The professor says it’s fine if you stay,” Wanda pipes up; the room looks at her, and she taps her temple. “There’s plenty of rooms. He’ll have Logan point you to one.”

“Tell him we say _thank you_ , please,” Peggy says, and Wanda nods, closing her eyes and pointing to her face to indicate that she’s doing just that. 

“We should let Logan know,” Bucky says. “And Storm. About the Infinity Stone.”

“Oh, we can tell them,” Vision says immediately. “On our way out. We could do that now, if you...”

He glances at Wanda, who casts her gaze first at Steve and then over his family, considering. The fact that the girls are all asleep seems to be the deciding factor. 

“Better sooner than later,” Wanda says, adjusting herself on her hands and knees so she can lean over Jamaica and kiss Steve’s cheek. “We should give you some more bonding time, anyway.”

She gets three overlapping _thank you_ s as she rises to her feet. She waves at Bucky and Peggy, and then presses a kiss to her fingertips and blows it at her pseudo-nieces.

“See you soon, babies. Bibi loves you.”

“Good-bye, little ones,” Vision says, as he stands; Wanda sees the wibbly look on Peggy’s face, and sends it back to her. “It was very nice to meet you.”

“Hold up a sec, Viz,” Tony calls, and Vision stills. “Okay, now hold up your _wrist_. Lemme see the Invincible Six.”

Vision does as bade, being better versed in Tony’s references. 

“So. Uh...I’m not gonna tell you to, you know, forget what I said and don’t worry, because I got a kid too and hey, that doesn’t work, like...ever, at all.”

“We’ve seen,” Bucky says, with careful good humor.

“What I _am_ gonna tell you is that...you’ve got us. A whole not-so-secret superpowered society that’s got protecting those kids as a professional _and_ personal mission.”

“Thank you,” Steve manages, garbled nonetheless; his partners can only get a few soft noises out. Tony almost opens his mouth to say it, but the passing better angel that the past nine years have brought into his life catches him just in time and he thinks it instead, sending it up to anyone he might sometimes, vaguely, believe can hear him.

_And if we can’t protect them, you can be damn well sure we’ll avenge them._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wakandan religion has elements of Ancient Egyptian as well as [Xhosa religious practice](http://shamanportal.org/shamanism_african.php), with help from Google Translate. Thwasa is a period of seclusion in which the would-be clergy undergo initiation, and Nikela is the sacrificial portion of any religious rites.
> 
> I’ve excluded the Reality Stone from the line-up because that thing is just _way_ too overpowered to be an individual stone. Rather, gathering the other Stones in one place allows them to merge into one _as_ the Reality Stone. (I’ll adjust previous stories to account for this at some point.) Consequently, Thor 2 never happened in this ‘verse, which I’m sure no one is too sad about. 
> 
> Also, fuck _everything_ about the MCU’s handling of the Soul Stone, especially its Must Kill One Woman to Obtain clause.


End file.
